Reverse Games
by Ms. Moonstar
Summary: Thor and Loki have been arguing since they arrived back on Earth and the Avengers are tired of it. Tony Stark comes up with a brilliant plan to make the two Agardian gods get along. Brotherly love. No Slash!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Okay, I really shouldn't start a new project, but I need to write a little humor and this was rolling around in my head for a while. This is my first attempt at writing the Avengers and a MCU related fic, and the characters might be out of character for the sake of humor._

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><p>"NO Thor, that is final!" The voice of Loki echoed through Tony Stark's voluminous living room.<p>

"Come brother, why must you be so obstinate?" Thor shouted in frustration.

"It's because you're a dolt and won't listen!" Loki snapped, throwing his arms to illustrate his frustration.

The Avengers stood in the kitchen and collectively rolled their eyes. Thor and Loki had been here only two hours and already had started to fight with one another. Thor had brought the prince turned villain to Earth. He had explained that their father, Odin had sentenced Loki to help rebuild parts of New York that had been destroyed in the invasion and to work alongside the Avengers. It had taken the super-heroes a while to agree to this, but with Thor at Loki's side and that his magic had been suppressed, they felt somewhat re-assured that Loki would not be too much of a risk to have in the Tower.

"Seriously," Natasha growled rolling her grey eyes, "how long are we going to have to put up with these two fighting?"

"Tony, do you really think it's a good idea to have him here? I mean, you don't want your tower smashed up again." Steve remarked, eying the billionaire nervously as the shouting escalated.

"Please be reasonable, Loki!"

"I doubt even Mjolnir can knock any sense into you if it hit that thick skull of yours!" Loki sneered.

"Is it too late to send them back to Asgard?" Clint remarked ruefully, taking a sip of his coffee.

"We'd better do something, Tony, or they will really starting using the tower to take out their aggression." Sighed Bruce while he munched on a bagel.

Tony let a sly smile slip onto his face, "Oh, I've got an idea alright." He chuckled and finished downing the coffee mug. "JARVIS, can you scan Thor and Loki and get their measurements without them knowing?"

"Will do sir." The computer responded. There was a pause and then, "Done sir."

"Order up a bunk-beds, ah-whatever would be suitable to their sizes. Also clothes for both of them, t-shirts and jeans for Thor, and button down long sleeved dress shirts and black slacks for Loki. And uh-whatever else they'll be needing in clothes and grooming items."

"Very good sir, they will be delivered within the hour. Are we expecting children?"

"You can say they're already here." Tony groused, as the two Asgardians continued with their fight.

"By the way, when are we going to tell Fury that Loki is back on Earth?" Natasha asked tensely, not wanting to incur the wrath of the SHIELD director.

"Oh, I'm sure Popeye already knows; we'll probably get an angry phone call sooner or later."

At this reference, Steve Rogers actually snorted with laughter.

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><p>Tony convinced Thor to participate in a training session with Steve, while Bruce showed Loki his lab. This of course, was to keep the two gods distracted while their living quarters were arranged on the higher floor. Tony had instructed his teammates to keep the two gods busy the entire day.<p>

When they re-convened for dinner, (which happened to be Tony's favorite Chinese), Loki eyed his brother with annoyance.

"By the way, I forgot to give you both the grand tour." Tony said between mouthfuls of food, "specifically where you'll be stayin'."

"We thank you for your hospitality, Man of Iron." Thor replied courteously. "Right, brother?" He glanced over to Loki who grimaced, but nodded.

"No need to say thank you or anything," sniped Clint, earning a glare from the god of mischief.

"Don't provoke the Rock of Ages, Clint. "Tony grumbled.

When they had finished dinner, the Avengers and Loki watched a movie (Avatar) that caused an argument and some playful popcorn throwing. The group of heroes broke up for the night around 11 o' clock.

"Loki, Thor follow me, I'll show you to your floor. Uh, Bruce?"

"Sure." the physicist remarked and his eye darted towards to the two Asgardians, squeezing into the small elevator.

"Bruce has a level above me so we can keep an eye on one another when he Hulk's out and I have nightmares and Pepper isn't here." Tony explained as he pushed the button for level eight.

It was a short trip, and before long, the quartet stepped from the elevator and followed Tony.

"Sir," the voice of JARVIS called out and made both Thor and Loki jump slightly, "I scanned Mr. Laufeyson's brain pattern, and detecting a high intelligence level, I've installed a library in the main atrium of their living quarters."

"Thank you Jarv," the billionaire replied then turned to the two gods, that's my artificial intelligent butler JARVIS. Call him and he'll help you with anything you need." They stepped in front of an industrial looking door, "and this will be your room."

It swished open, and both gods blinked owlishly at their new surroundings. There was a set of sleek modern bunk-beds made of light pine, the top one being of twin size on the top that was horizontal covered in green and gold. The other was a full sized bed that was vertical and was draped in red and silver. The ladder to the second bed was in fact an actual miniature staircase. On either side of the beds were wardrobes in their matching colors, a stylish full length mirror, a large wardrobe, and a television that was mounted on the opposite wall.

"What is this, Stark?" Demanded Loki, sending a vicious glare towards the billionaire.

"I too am a bit confused, Man of Iron." Admitted Thor, though he didn't look as offended as his brother about the accommodations.

"You don't have bunk-beds on Asgard?" Tony asked innocently, deftly ignoring the mutters from Loki that were no doubt foul language in ancient Norse.

"The Einherjar do, but they are mere peasants. We're princes and gods!" Loki snarled.

"Loki," Thor chided him, "Do not forget your edict. Do you remember nothing Mother taught us?"

His brother still protested vehemently, "We would neither of us, fit in the beds!" Loki still protested after a moment.

"Here's the deal, you can sleep in here, or in Central Park." Tony stated flatly, jerking his thumb at the large windows that twinkled with lights in the distance. Bruce watched the tension with unease, wondering if either would stand down.

"We will accept your most gracious offer." Thor echoed the words Loki had spoken that made the younger god wince. "Right, brother?"

Loki grimaced, but nodded curtly, but did not say anything.

"Good," Tony returned brightly, clapping Thor on the shoulder, "Breakfast is any time you want to get up and whatever the hell you can find if Thor hasn't eaten yet."

The thunderer looked a little embarrassed, but nodded. "We again thank you for your hospitality, Stark."

'' 'Night." came the response and the door slid shut.

When Tony and Bruce were at the elevators, Bruce finally spoke up, "Do you think this is a good idea, Tony? I mean," he glanced back down the hall, "They don't exactly get along. "

"Just the point," Tony replied when the elevator opened and they were whisked to the next few floors. "If they are going to be staying with us for an undetermined amount of time, I'm going to make sure my tower doesn't suffer an Asgardian sized war between them. Besides, the two of them don't realize how fortunate they are to have each other as brothers. I never had any siblings and maybe it wouldn't have taken me so long to care about other people if I did."

Bruce nodded, "Mother-my mother never had any kids other than me. I was often alone after she died, even with all the love my aunt gave me. Natasha is an orphan. Clint is estranged with his brother, and Steve lost all his family and friends after 70 years. I just hope that Loki sees that trying to find his place by war is not going to work. Loki doesn't suffer fools gladly, especially not with Thor."

"Yeah, but you can tell, he still seeks his brother's approval. " Tony remarked, "Maybe living in Thor's shadow did screw him up. It did me. Living under my father's name made me reckless and careless." There was a shadow of sadness that passed over his face for a moment, they a wry smile appeared, "I have plans for those two to get along." He stepped out of the lift, "G'night Bruce. Don't be surprised if you find me in the lab at three in the morning."

"I never am," Bruce chuckled, and pressed the button for his own floor.

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><p>Loki was surprised by the bed's relative softness when he climbed the steps and flattened himself onto it. He also noted that it was perfect to his proportions, and thus not too small or too cramped. His pajamas were of course, emerald green and made of a soft material that was not as comfortable as his sleep clothes on Asgard, but decided that they would do.<p>

Thor stepped out of the bathroom after washing his teeth. Luckily the washroom had two sinks so as two not force them to wait to do their ambulations.

"As I understand it, Stark is quite rich and this tower of his has quite a few levels. I know not why I must share a bedroom with you." Loki snarled.

"Loki..." Thor sighed with some exasperation as he climbed into his own bed. "Be pleased that you are being given a chance to stay here at all. They would have thrown you out into the streets or handed you to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Mayhaps I was better suited to a cell in Asgard's dungeons." Loki groused, "If you think that you and your little friends will cause a change in me by playing nice, then you're sorely mistaken. I can see through those facades, they don't want me here. "

"If they didn't, then you wouldn't be here laying in a bed now, would you?" Thor responded.

Loki deigned to answer, but his eyebrows rose with some surprise. Thor was slightly perceptive after all.

"Good night, brother." Thor mumbled, then called for JARVIS to turn out the lights...

_TBC..._

_More A/N: This is what the bunkbed I choose look like if you're interested: www .hyzloa berg-bunk-beds-twin-over-full-stairs/. _


	2. Breakfast and Charity

_A/N: Yeah, I know this was suppose to be posted last Sunday, but I really wasn't sure if I wanted this chapter to be dark or cute (and erred on the side of cute) so it took me a while. Also I will make this story a Sunday/Monday post. Sorry. And wow! seven subscribers an two reviews for the first chapter. Thank you so much!_

_Wolftatoo: I do want to explore the bond between Thor and Loki. I don't think Odin is a terrible person, I think that his blinders were on in terms of Thor being the heir that he kind of ignored Loki. Maybe I should make that a chapter here and have him explain himself, no?"_

_timrachel: Yes he does needed to be reminded of that..and much much (much) more. LOL_

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><p>Loki woke at the crack of dawn dressed and slipped out of the room while Thor was still snoring in a heavy sleep. Loki rolled his eyes at the Thunderer's laziness as the door slid shut behind him.<p>

"Jarvis?" He called out uncertainly, wary of Tony Stark's technology, "May I- go into the kitchen?"

_Of course, Mr. Loki. Sir has extended the use of the kitchen to you as well as Mr. Odinson. _

At the mention of Thor's name, Loki grumbled under his breath and stomped to the elevators, and remembering which level the kitchen was on, pressed the button to go downstairs.

When he reached the kitchen, Loki smelled a sweet fragrance of food wafting from its depths, and the Black Widow leaning over the stove.

"Good morning Loki. I knew you were coming downstairs, JARVIS alerted me." Natasha greeted him, but didn't turn around.

"Good Morrow, Lady Natasha. What fare are you making?" Loki inquired curiously.

Natasha finally turned around with the spatula in her hand, "French Toast. I don't get to cook very often, but it's one of my favorite things to make when I get time. Would you like to try some?"

Loki hesitated for a moment; Romanov was a trained assassin, so poison would be part of her trade. But remembering what Thor had said the night before, Loki consented to the offer of food.

A moment later, he was presented with a plate with a fried but fluffy piece of bread covered in a brown gooey substance. _Pancake syrup_, Natasha had said. Loki bit into the food and was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"How is it?" Natasha turned around again with her own plate.

"It is-favorable fare, I suppose." Loki muttered, not willing to let her know that the food was in fact delicious.

"Steve went for his morning jog a little while ago, he should be back any time now." Natasha stated, trying to make conversation. The meal had continued in silence for a while.

When Loki finished, he stood and said, "Thank you for the meal. I believe I shall go and read for a while." He had turned and started to saunter off, when Natasha stopped him.

"Wait a minute. You've forgotten one thing." Natasha insisted, pointing to his dirty plate.

Loki raised one elegant eyebrow and looked abashed, "You expect me to do the dishes? I am a prince, and a _guest_ in this house!"

"You're temporarily part of this team and will follow the house rules. Put the plate and silverware in the dishwasher." She commanded coolly, pointing to a silver box that was tucked under a cabinet.

Loki snatched up the dish and with a growl, opened it to find dishes already placed within the strange contraption. He put his in and shut the door then looked up curiously at Natasha. "This...machine, it cleans dishes?"

"Automatically." She replied simply.

"Am I dismissed now, Lady Natasha?" Loki quipped, once again turning on heel and heading back towards the elevator before she had even answered him.

He did not hear her murmur something in Russian.

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><p>Hours later, Loki had been sitting in the "library" of his floor learning about the modern technology of Midgard. Thor had passed on his greetings for the day, and went down for some food. JARVIS interrupted his solitude, making the god jump again.<p>

_Sir is requesting your presence on the main floor, Mr. Loki._

Loki sighed with annoyance, snapping his book shut, "I'll be right there." He called back as he rose from the armchair.

When he arrived in the living room, he heard Natasha insist, "I really don't think this is a good idea, Tony. I mean, can you handle him?

"I can!" Quipped Tony, "I can call for my suit if he tries to make a run for it."

"I think I should come with you, Stark." Came the voice of Thor, "he is my brother and I am able to control him."

"Fighting over me already?" Loki commented snarkily as he came into the living area. The argument seemed to cool.

"I am going to be doing something important today, and I would you like to come with me." Tony stated flatly.

"And if I refuse?" Loki inquired smoothly.

"I could get the Hulk to drag you along." Tony retorted with ease, crossing his arms over his chest casually.

Loki tensed and looked over to Bruce Banner, who looked surprised by this declaration, but who nodded in agreement. He seemed to sign with resignation and finally said, "very well, Stark."

"Good, be ready in about 15 minutes and we'll get going." Tony instructed.

Loki nodded and heard Clint mutter as he turned to go, "I hope you know what you're doing, Tony."

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><p>"So where are we going, Stark?" asked in the car of Tony's apple red Porsche.<p>

The answer was interrupted by a phone call, that came on a holographic screen. A dark skinned woman with designer glasses who reminded Loki of Heimdall appeared on the screen.

"Tony, you're running late. The troops are getting a little restless over here." She said in a scolding tone that was tinged with a little humor.

"Sorry Gab, we hit a bit of traffic. Be there shortly." Tony responded as he kept his eyes on the traffic signal.

"You stopped off for doughnuts again, didn't you?" She asked with a chuckle.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." Tony replied with one of his trademark smiles. The hologram disappeared and Loki was still in the dark about where they were going.

"The troops? If it the army, I believe Captain Rogers would have been a better choice, Stark."

Loki heard Tony chuckle, "That's not what she meant."

"Then what _did_ she mean?" Loki hissed impatiently. This game was getting tiresome.

"When I get bored, I like to take the kids in group homes out to a store to buy whatever they want."

"Group home?" Loki inquired.

"They're kids are in custody of the state, waiting for foster families."

"And you let them buy..food at this store?"

"Um no...mostly clothes, toys, games, whatever." Tony replied with a shrug.

Loki sat back in his seat and sighed, "I do not know why you dragged me to meet a bunch of orphan brats."

"Because it'll teach you something." Tony responded very much like a father speaking to his son.

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><p>When they arrived in the parking lot, Loki found that there were only a handful of cars, and a larger blue colored version of a vehicle they were driving.<p>

Seeing Loki's attention draw to it, Tony said, "It's a bus. Like a car but bigger, holds more passengers. It's what the kids come here in." He parked the car, and both exited from it to stand in front of a tan nondescript building with what looked like a huge target hoisted on the exterior with the words "Super Target" next to it. Loki scoffed at the obviousness and went through the doors with Tony.

He'd never been to a "store" before, but was fascinates with the aisles of clothing, food, and housewares that he had never seen before on Asgard.

"Hello Mister. Stark!" The group shouted in unison. Loki looked at them and found the children to be fifteen of both genders. Some were fair skinned like the billionaire, and others were dark skinned like the woman Stark had spoken to on the phone. Behind them were surely the employees as they were wearing the same colors that the building offered.

"Hey kids!" Tony returned cheerfully, "This is Mr...Laufeyson, my business partner. We're going to be helping me today. You all can grab a cart and fill it up with anything you want. But you only have an hour, so be mindful of that. These nice folks (he gestured to the helpers), Mr. Laufeyson and I will be walking around the store if you need help, okay?" There was a yell of acknowledgement, and then Stark clapped his hands, "Alright, let's get to it then!"

The bigger children got their shopping carts for themselves, while the younger ones were helped by the store's employees. When they all had departed, Loki turned to Tony. "And just what am I suppose to be doing to help?"

Tony shrugged, "Act natural. Take a cart and pick something out. It's on me."

"I need no charity from you, Stark!" Loki sneered.

"Then help out the kids." Tony ordered. "And try not to insult them, they're young."

Loki hissed under his breath and stalked towards the men's clothing section of the store He then made a sharp turn to the right and found himself in the sports section, much to his chagrin. There, standing about the odd shaped tools of sports was a slightly thick set, sandy haired boy with the name "Jason" on his name tag.

"Hey Mr. Laufeyson, can I ask your help?"

Loki groaned internally, but then sauntered over to the teen. "What do you wish of me?" He asked impatiently.

"Man, you got some messed up language there. I was gonna ask you if I should take up a sport." Jason asked.

"You are old enough to decide for yourself, are you not?" Loki replied in a condescending tone that was obviously not caught by the child.

"Yeah," the boy suddenly look embarrassed, "The other kids say I'm too fat to."

"You shouldn't care about what others think of you. If you want to take up sport then do so. And in time, perhaps the exercise involved will improve your physique to your advantage."

The boy's face lit up with that encouragement, and he punched Loki in the arm lightly, "Hey, thanks man!"

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><p>The hour seemed to pass slowly for Loki, who helped a little girl pick out an outfit (what did he know of Midgardian fashion for small girls?!), pick out a book for another (much to his own admitted pride), and near the end, found himself in the toy section where a young man was trying to reach the higher shelf. He stopped suddenly at this, and determined that the child was close to tears and he jumped and missed a few times.<p>

"Would you care for some help, boy?" Loki said, and made the child start and whirl around. The little one was dark haired and had brown eyes. "Alex" was the name of the kid.

"Yes please," Alex muttered, still sniffling, pointing to the Iron Man action figure.

_Of course _Loki thought as he stepped on a smaller shelf and easily reached for it. Turning, he handed the figurine to the boy, who now hugged it to his chest. "Thank you, mister!"

"Why do you like Iron Man...Alex?"

"Because he's rich, and he's got cool suits and he helps people!" the boy chirped.

Loki seemed to consider this a moment. Stark did indeed have impressive technology that he created from scratch. And rather than spend money on himself, he spent it on the less fortunate. He could see why one so young could look up to Stark (though not other less desirable traits like the drinking).

Nodding, Loki looked over to the partially filled cart. "Would you like me to help you find some more toys?"

The boy glanced up at him, "Yes please."

The rest of the time was dedicated to playing fake pirates with fake swords, a make believe war scene with toy soldiers, and bouncing a ball down an aisle.

"You look like you're having fun!" Called a voice behind him, and Loki stopped dead in his tracks, the rubber ball bouncing away before rolling to a stop. Loki whirled around to find Tony Stark leaning against a column, grinning like a Chesire cat.

"Alex and I were checking the quality of these toys." Loki said, trying to cover a lie.

"Sure," Tony retorted playfully. "Well, 'fraid playtime is over., it's time to check out."

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><p>When they left the store and were on the way back to Stark Tower, Loki finally mustered the courage to ask, "Stark, why do you give away your money so freely? Surely those children are not poor. Why do you insist on charity?"<p>

Tony's face turned stony, "Well to be honest, I wasn't always charitable. Sure, I had a charity in honor of my mother, but that was about it. I spent a lot of my money on parties and airplanes and whatever from weapons sale. Then one day I was captured in Afghanistan and I found out my weapons were being used by the bad guys to harm helpless people. That's why I gave up making weapons and focused on helping the environment with new clean energy. A man named Yinsin helped me escape my captors and the cost of his own life." There was a long silence, then "He told me I had a second chance and not to waste it. Those kids may not be poor, but the state can only afford so much, I just...ease the burden a bit and let them have some things they might not get otherwise."

"I see..." Loki said. He did not care that Stark was trying to teach him charity, but his heart warmed slightly at the fact that he was able to assist those who were not afraid of him. For once, he was happy not to be a god or the second prince of Asgard.

TBC...


	3. Fruits and a Gift for You (pt 1)

_A/N: Sorry this is so late! My life has been a rollercoaster lately, and I keep getting distracted. Thank you for the reviews and the subscribers. I appreciate it. This next chapter will be cut in two._

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><p>When Loki woke and went into the kitchens to find that no one was at the stove today. Wondering what to make, he looked up to the ceiling to find Stark's machine voice.<p>

"Machine?" What had Stark called it? "Jarvis?"

The AI responded calmly, "At your service, Mr. Loki."

"I wish for something simple to break my fast. What is there to eat?"

The ceiling machine replied, "Of course, sir. Please allow me to direct you to cabinets that you seek."

Five minutes later, Loki found himself at the kitchen island eating a bowl of what the Artificial Intelligence had called, "cereal."

He turned when he heard someone behind him approach, and found Bruce Banner clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Good Morning," the doctor greeted him warmly. "I see JARVIS has helped you find breakfast. How do you like it?"

For a moment, the god contemplated ignoring him, as their last meeting had caused him to be smashed into the floor _several_ times. Instead, Loki wrinkled his elegant nose at the spoonful of bran that was on a spoon.

"This is quite bland and tasteless, how do humans even eat it? And why for that matter?!"

Bruce just shrugged at this, "Because it's healthy. I tell you what-" he looked up to the ceiling, "JARVIS?"

"Yes sir?" the machine piped cheerfully.

"See if we can't order some fruit. Bananas, peaches, strawberries if we can get them." He said, then looked over to Loki, "You like apples?" When Loki nodded in the affirmative, Banner continued, "and some apples; red and green ones. "

"There's a green grocer ten minutes away. It will arrive in fifteen sir, due to morning traffic." JARVIS complied with confidence.

Loki glanced at the doctor, his eyebrows drawn together. "Why would you do that for me? Do you not hate me?"

Bruce smiled was a little disconcerting, "Don't get me wrong, the Other Guy hates you. But me, I'm a doctor. It's my job to help others. The moment you stepped into the tower, the Other Guy wanted to smash you into the floor again. Luckily, I have better control of him." He put his hands up defensively, "How about you and I try to get along so that we don't have that situation again?"

Loki hopped of the stool and extended his hand, "We have an accord, Doctor Banner." They shook hands.

Banner laughed, "Besides, the fruit will get eaten by everyone. Pepper always has lectured everyone at the tower about his or her eating habits. Clint likes to play William Tell with the apples." Loki shot him a perplexed look and he explained, "Pepper is Tony's girlfriend. Oh, and it was an old legend of a guy shooting an apple off his son's head. Fortunately, Hawkeye lives up to his name, though only Tony has volunteered to have apples shot of his head when he has been completely drunk."

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><p>At lunchtime, Loki was summoned to the kitchen space to dine with the other members of the Tower.<br>Loki found that Rogers was cooking the mid-day meal with some interest. Who knew the old soldier even knew how to do so?

Thor beckoned from the table, "Come brother, I have saved you a seat!" Loki rolled his eyes at his bro-at Thor, as they saw each other everyday. But part of him was glad that he was at least welcome by his once sibling.

"So Cap, what's for lunch?" Tony inquired.

Steve turned around with a grin across his face, "Irish Stew. Finally found my mom's old recipe."

The billionaire grumbled about wanting Chinese food but was deftly ignored by the others.

When the meal was served, Loki found himself daydreaming of a day in their youth when they had each had carried a rabbit home for dinner that was made into a stew like the very one they were eating now.

_We played together, we fought together, do you remember know of that?_

"Loki?" Thor stirred him out of his reverie, "does something ail you?"

"No..."The dark haired god murmured, "just a memory."

A bowl was pushed towards him. "Try this, it's peaches." He heard Bruce say.

"Seriously, you live on a floating paradise city and you don't have any fruit?" Barton sneered.

"We have fruit, yes." Thor acknowledged, "But only apples and grapes."

Loki bit into the fuzzy fruit, and delighted in it's sweet and slightly tart flavor. Midgardians had some interesting food after all.

"By the way, I have an assignment for our two resident gods." Tony remarked in between sips.

"What do you wish us to do, Man of Iron?" Thor looked up from his stew.

Tony stood up and handed a blue plastic card to each of them, "These are debit cards. They each have $5000 dollars on them. Your task is to get a gift for one another, but it has to be significant you one another personally. You both have three days. Let's see how well you still know one other."

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><p>Loki paced in the library with his hands intertwined behind his back, while pacing back and forth. Something that Thor was passionate about? All Loki thought Thor felt strongly about was fighting. But he had Mjolnir, so he would have no need for any other weapon. And he had a passion for women.<p>

Loki stopped pacing suddenly, his head lifting. What was the name of that woman? He wracked his brain. Jane! Yes, that was it! Jane Foster that Thor had become infatuated with during his exile on his Midguard.

"Computer, can you tell me the location of the female Jane Foster?"

"Yes Sir. She is still located in Puente Antiguo, New Mexico." The A.I. answered.

"Can I-" Loki pulled out the card, looking at it, "Send for her, using this card Stark gave me?"

"Of course sir. If you'll just use the StarkPad on the left?" J.A.R.V.I.S. instructed.

It had taken an hour, but after learning to navigate the internet, Loki had successfully had bought a ticket for that astrophysicist, and arranged for her to be picked up by something called a "limo". Now all he had to do is muster the courage to call her to arrange her trip here.

Taking a deep breath, he made the call with prompting from the A.I.

"Hello?" The airy voice of Jane Foster came over the phone.

"I just wanted to inform you that Thor is back on Mid-on Earth. Would you come to Stark Tower in New York to see him?" Loki kept his tone level.

"Who is this?" Jane replied. Her voice was slightly nervous, but she remained calm.

"Will you come? Your ticket has been paid for already." Loki pressed, rolling his eyes at the human's hesitation. Surely she knew that Thor was indeed here, S.H.I.E.L.D. would certainly have told her.

There was a pause, and then the woman replied, "Yes."

"Very well, we'll await your arrival."

* * *

><p>By the time the sun began to set over the city, The A.I. alerted the residents of the Tower. All of them looked slightly surprised.<p>

"Friend of yours, Stark?" Steve asked off-offhandedly.

"Nope. Yours?"

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted, "It is a one Jane Foster in search of Thor."

Thor stood up suddenly, while his blue eyes widened, disturbing the dishes on the table and making them rattle. "Jane? Jane is here?"

"Let her come up, Jarv." Tony instructed.

When the main doors slid open, they observed Jane, looking slightly disheveled from her trip with one suitcase in her hand. She dropped it and ran towards Thor, wrapping her arms around his neck.

After they had broken apart, Jane raised her arm and slapped Thor across the cheek, that made the men wince. "Where were you?! I waited, I cried, and tried to move on. I couldn't."

Thor had the decency to turn his gaze to the floor. "The Rainbow Bridge was broken. I only returned to find my brother and the Tesseract."

Her face softened, and she only seemed to nod. She smiled up to him and decided at the moment to kiss him in front of company.

"But how-Jane, how did you know that I was here?"

"I-I got a message that you were here and that I had a plane ticket to New York." She stammered, as she looked up to meet his eyes.

Thor looked confused and glanced about the room, all which shrugged with confusion. "Don't look at me!" Tony spouted with a laugh, taking a swig of beer.

"I did," Loki said finally, stepping near the pair. "I'm Loki, you may have heard of me-" he was stopped by a slap across the jaw ( that was even harder than she had slapped Thor).

"That was for New York!" She growled.

Loki only smiled, "I like her. You may regret that in a moment, for I am the one who arranged your passage here." He flashed the card again, then placed it in her hand, "And I give you the rest to spend as you like, with Thor."

Thor however, had looked astonished. "Brother, you-" He embraced his brother in a bear hug, "Thank you! Thank you brother."

Out of view of the Avengers and Thor's beloved, Loki allowed himself a small smile creep over his features.

"Will wonders never cease?" Steve whispered, with his head in his hand. All the others could do was nod in agreement.

END PART 1


	4. Camping and a Gift part 2

_A/N: Ta-da! I actually got this written on time. Oddly enough, writing while running errands seems to help my writing process. Thank you for the reviews and subscribers. I can't believe I already have 23! Thanks so much!_

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><p>Thor and Jane walked through one of the quieter residential streets of Manhattan, one evening hand and hand. They had gone shopping in the upscale shops (something that Jane had always wanted to do in New York). Next, they had gone to see something she had called a "musical" called <em>Wicked, <em>and Thor could not help but feel like the relationship between the two witches were like those of him and Loki. His brother had changed so much, angry, bitter, and vengeful, much like the antagonist of the musical.

Jane had been chatting about her astrophysics work and research and he had unintentionally tuned her out. He still had to get a gift for Loki as per Stark's instructions, but was still unsure as to what would be best. Books? No, Stark had seen that he had gotten as many books as he wished in the library. In truth, the billionaire super hero could give Loki anything he desired at a whim, and it made Thor feel like nothing would be as good.

"Thor," Jane's voice floated to his ears and got his attention again, "Are you listening?" She didn't seem annoyed at his tuning her out; rather, she seemed perplexed by his troubled expression.

Thor had the modesty to flush with embarrassment, "I am sorry, Jane. Stark tasked Loki and I with buying one another a gift to see if we still know one another as brothers. I am at a loss, Jane. He's not the brother I grew up with anymore. He always was scholarly, while I preferred to train with the Warriors Three. I do not know how or when we began to drift apart. I was always too busy to take part in activities that he liked. I always found them too boring for my restless nature. He and I always went hunting trips, though truthfully, I believe that it was only to appease me. I'd find him laying outside of his tent gazing at the stars. Loki would often sneak out of the palace to the observatory and watch the stars with Heimdall."

"That's it then!" Jane exclaimed, "you can buy him a telescope to watch the stars."

Thor's blond brows creased, "Telescope? Is that the scope from which you can see stars close to?" Jane looked a little surprised but he continued, "My father sent a convoy to Midgard to explore its progress-"

"And landed in the Renaissance era." Jane finished his sentence, looking starry eyed. "Wow. Well, we can look for a telescope tomorrow. The Leonid meteor shower tomorrow night, so it will be perfect."

"Thank you Jane!" Thor exclaimed sweeping off her feet and kissing her on the lips, while passersby gawked at the Norse god.

* * *

><p>It had taken some time and some research, but the couple had found an an astronomy shop on 23rd and 67th called "Telescopium Telescopes". Jane rolled her eyes at the name as Thor opened the door for her. Around them was a tiny space filled with models of the planets hanging from the ceiling, dozens of telescopes in boxes laying on shelves along with replacement parts, and a few models that were set up as displays.<p>

At the counter was a quintessential older man with half moon glasses and a visor, polishing a lens of telescope with a grimy cloth. He looked up at them, "Yes? May I help you?" he asked in a squeaky high pitched tone.

"I am looking for a very good..." Thor began, then paused to try to remember a word, "telescope."

"Of course." The withered man said, and came out from behind the counter to guide the pair down the narrow aisles, and stopped in front of a rather large looking silver colored telescope. "This is the best one we have in stock. It is the Celestial 245 A. 450 magnification, navigation guide, tripod and so on."

Thor looked at Jane a little nonplussed by the technical information and shrugged. Jane turned to the shop keeper. "How much?"

"Ahem-it's $2099 dollars, little lady." The man replied, almost in a tone that said, _You don't look rich enough to afford it, miss. _

He was taken aback when Jane said, "We'll take it."

* * *

><p>Later after they had finished a late lunch at Stark Tower, Thor scooted out his chair and stood up, a grin washing over his face. "Loki, I have a surprise for you."<p>

"I'm not to be an uncle am I, Thor?" Loki quipped nonchalantly.

"Not that kind of surprise. Really brother, I wish you'd be a little more polite. No, we-" here he gestured to the rest of the Avengers and his beloved, "are going camping."

An elegant eyebrow rose on the Trickster, "Camping? Even the modern man there?" Loki inquired, gesturing to Tony.

"Even him." The thundered remarked.

"Not like I can't handle being in the great outdoors or anything." sniffed Tony.

"I think we'd better pack and get ready to go." Steve directed to the team, and they all dispersed. "And Tony? No tech." he nodded to the cell phone in the billionaire's left hand.

Tony had opened his mouth to protest, but a serious glance made Tony grumble, "Fine!" and put his phone down on the counter.

When Thor and Loki were the last to leave the dining room, Loki said, "Thor?"

"Hm?"

"I'd give all of Asgard to see the Man of Iron camp."

The two brothers looked at one another and broke into quiet chuckles.

* * *

><p>It had only taken an hour by car to reach their destination. When they got out, Loki could hear the crashing of waves on land. In the fading light of day, he saw that they were on some lake, trees growing wild and only a few houses appeared in the distance, including a large sprawling looking home that no doubt was Stark's property.<p>

"I don't know why we have to camp out when my house is just up the hill." Groused Tony as he helped unload the tents from the cars.

"It's good to get away from tech once in while," Bruce shrugged and begun to set up one of the tent's poles. "Loki, can you help me with this?"

Loki nodded, a sudden memory of helping Thor do the same thing flashed in his mind.

"Thor, " Captain America directed, "You and Tony can look for wood for a fire."

"What about you, Spangles?" Tony sniffed.

"I'm going to get the stones for the campfire. Natasha, Clint, can you rustle up some fish?"

The pair nodded and headed off.

"Jane, will you look around for a good place for...the other surprise?" With a nod, the astrophysicist went the opposite direction of the two assassins.

With tasks assigned, the team got to work on making camp for the night.

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><p>By the time the sun had gone down, the group had settled in around the newly made camp fire, and had finished their dinner of fish, complete with bottles of beer (which Loki did not partake of).<p>

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Tony said suddenly then ducked into his tent, reappearing a moment later with a grocery bag and plopping back onto the sand. "Have to have these," he announced, pulling out a bag of marshmallows.

Natasha rolled her eyes, "What are we, kids?"

"Hey, don't knock it," Steve said, and took a marshmallow from the bag to place on a stick, "I haven't had marshmallows since I was eight."

All of them snagged a marshmallow from the bag and when Thor handed Loki one, the trickster could only stare bewildered at the sweet.

Tony rolled his eyes, "Seriously? It's not gonna bite, you know."

Thor elbowed him, "Come on brother, the archer is right, this marshed mellow is quite good!"

Loki popped the confection into him mouth. It stuck to the top of his mouth and made his throat scratchy, and no doubt had begun a few cavities.

Clint laughed, "Wow, that's the look I'd give my mom when she made me eat green beans!"

Thor frowned, "Do not tease my brother so. He is not fond of sweet things."

"Good of you to try, Loki." Jane commented, sipping at the canister of coffee.

"Don't patronize me, woman." Loki sneered.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not heighten tensions between us." Bruce remarked, "here Loki, have some coffee." Bruce remarked, and handed over another canteen. The liquid was warm and strong and stuck to his veins.

There was a pause, then Steve spoke next, "This reminds me of my youth when I was a Boy Scout."

Natasha lifted an eyebrow, "You were a scout, Cap?"

Rogers nodded, "I was an Eagle Scout when I was 16. Believe me, it saved my life and the lives of others on more than one occasion during the war. Navigation, first aid, that sort of thing." His tone seemed a little distance, as though reliving a memory.

"So Cap is an overgrown Boy Scout after all," Tony sniffed.

"TONY!" Came a chorus of reprimands. The billionaire just shrugged and took another drink.

There was quiet for a few more minutes, then the Avengers began to talk among themselves, sometimes breaking into the laughter. Occasionally a question would be directed to Loki. It reminded the Trickster of the times when he, Thor and Warriors Three had grudgingly accepted him and went on adventures. This time however, Loki actually felt welcome. Banner conversed with him about his trips off world, for which Thor would jump in and reminesce with Loki about certain sojourns into the wilds of other planets.

Finally, Bruce looked at his glow in the dark watch, then up to the moonless sky. "Thor, I think we should spring the...surprise."

"Yes, I think so too," Thor said brightly, standing, then extending a hand to help his brother up. Loki chose to stand on his own and dust off the slacks.

"I'll bring the coffee." Natasha remarked.

* * *

><p>It was only a five minute walk to wherever they were going. Loki, in the meantime, was silently try to guess what the surprise was, even though he had a slight inkling of what it was.<p>

The group arrived at the shoreline, where Loki could see from Clint's flashlight, a chest high object that was covered in a cloth.

"Ready?" Thor asked

Loki nodded, and the cloth was pulled off by Thor and Jane.

"It's a telescope!" Thor bellowed, "I remembered that you liked to look at the stars."

"I am aware of what a telescope is Thor, we have one on Asgard if you remember." He paused, and added, "Thank you."

"Loki," Thor added, stepping forward to put his hands on his little brother's shoulders, "If ever you need a place to escape for peace, please let me know. I will fly you here and leave you to your stars. Never forget that I love you, my brother." With that, Thor pulled Loki into a hug. Loki was a little taken aback, but was grateful that his brother still cared about him despite everything that had happened between them.

"Alright, enough of this mushy stuff," Tony exclaimed, clapping his hands, "let's get to some star-gazing!"

"Way to ruin the brotherly love, Stark." Steve muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey, I'm a man of the moment." Tony admitted with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"There' a meteor shower tonight." Bruce announced, stepping next to Clint to flip through an astronomy magazine, "The Leonids. They can be observed with the naked eye, but perhaps even better with a telescope."

The night went on, and Bruce and Jane took turns pointing out constellations, distant stars, and planets. The group watched as meteors littered the night sky, while the stars seemed to slowly shift. Jane spoke fervently and Loki could not help but admire her love of the stars.

When he got too tired, Loki sat a grass knoll, and found himself leaning his head on his brother's shoulder. Before falling asleep, he decided that this puny planet might have some merit after all.

**TBC...**

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><p><em><strong>AN: Steve would have been seven or eight in 1927/28. Marshmallows had been invented then, because a 1927 Girl Scout guidebook had a recipe for S'mores. that included them. ** _


	5. Chapter 5: A Time to be Grateful

_a/n: I apologize if this Thanksgiving chapter is late. Can you all forgive me? Thank you again for all the reviews and follows. I appreciate it!_

_thephoenixandthedragon4ever: You're right. I have gone ahead and changed chapter four. Thanks for pointing that out. _

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><p>When Loki woke and went downstairs to the kitchen, he found Barton rather than Romanov leaning over the stove, concentrating on making a meal. Loki approached cautiously, seeing as the Hawkeye would not take well to his presence after being brainwashed over a year ago.<p>

"Good morrow, agent Barton. I-" Loki began to pull a chair at the bar and began to sit down, When he was a confronted by a plastic spatula.

"Listen. You hurt Natasha, or Bruce, or any of them, I won't hesitate to put an arrow through your head! Got it, Laufeyson?" He hissed, eyes narrowed towards the god, while gripping the spatula tighter.

"You're not a man of idle threats, Man of the Hawk." Loki sniffed, and traced his finger on the granite counter-top. "I don't suggest you start now."

The archer threw down his spatula and gripped Loki by the lapels, "Look you arrogant-" he seethed.

"What's going on here?" A voice rang out behind them. Both of them turned to see Rogers in his running gear, looking sweaty but non the less imposing.

"I only wished Barton a good morning and he threatened me. I don't suppose you do that for all your guests?" Loki asked snidely, as he pushed away Clint's grip on his shirt.

"Clint, whether you like it or not, Loki is temporarily part of our team. We have to be respectful of him, unless you want Thor's hammer engraved on your head." Steve replied calmly. He then turned to Loki, "And Loki, you don't goad the other team members, clear? Unless you'd like to have a prison cell as quarters for the remainder of your stay."

Loki crossed his arms across his chest. "At least I would not have to listen to Thor's snores."

"Clint, what are you making for breakfast?" Steve asked as he tried to defuse the tension in the room.

"Omelet." The archer said simply, "Want one?"

"Yes please." Steve spoke, as he went to the fridge to pull out some juice. "Would you like some juice, Loki?"

"Please." The demi-god muttered and took his seat next to Steve.

Breakfast was served (Clint begrudgingly made Loki an omelet as well), and again there was tense silence that was only broken by Rogers.

"The trees are starting to turn. You two are here near Thanksgiving." The captain remarked.

At this, Loki stopped mid bite to shoot a bewildered look towards him, "Turn into what, pray tell? And what is this Thanksgiving you speak of?"

Now it was Steve's turn to raise an eyebrow. "They don't have autumn on Asgard?"

"We have perpetual spring and summertide, but no actual seasons." Loki answered between bites, "There are other realms, such as the Jotunhiem that have constant winter."

"Here in the autumn, the leaves turn different colors and fall off the trees. It's why we call it 'fall'." Steve explained, and Clint rolled his eyes at the explanation because it sounded like something one would tell a first grader. "Thanksgiving is-well...it's a holiday where we give thanks for our first harvest in this country. Maybe when Thor get's up, we can take a walk in Central Park?"

* * *

><p>Around eleven o'clock, Steve, Loki and Thor had headed out to Central Park. Thor and Loki watched leaves falling from the trees. Both were wide eyed, pointing in every direction at the different hued leaves. Laughs from both gods erupted at the sheer amount of foliage that was around them.<p>

"Do they always change these colors, Rogers?" Loki asked curiously, bending to pick up one and holding it up between his slender fingers.

"Without fail," Rogers affirmed, "Though, some parts of the country are close to the equator, so they don't get fall the same way we do here in the North."

A shiver passed through Thor, and the thunderer wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to stay warm.

"It-it is cold!" Thor complained.

"Rogers warned you to wear something warmer, brother." Loki teased as he and Steve continued down the walkway, "And as usual, you didn't listen."

Steve looked Loki up and down a moment. "You don't seemed to be affected by the cold as much as Thor," he remarked.

Loki shrugged dismissively, "I was born on the Jotunhiem, and as I told you, the beings there are made hardy for the cold."

"You were born there? And yet you were a prince on Asgard," a questioning glance went to Thor next, "I think you should tell me the whole story."

A beverage stand was around the next turn. The three men ordered hot chocolate on Steve's recommendation, and the trio proceeded to walk through the Mall while Thor and Loki told their tale.

"I was left on an altar on the Jotunhiem, too small and therefore abandoned and left to die. Odin only saved me as a political pawn, to broker my life for the peace of Asgard." Loki explained with bitterness in his voice.

"Yet he made you part of his family, and a prince on Asgard." Steve said thoughtfully.

Loki snorted, "Only to keep up the ruse that I was an Aseir. It was only a matter of time before I would be used for his purposes. Perhaps I would even be returned to the Jotunhiem."

"But that's good, right? you'd be back in your homeland?" Steve inquired.

"I killed Laufey, the king of the Jotunhiem. No doubt there would be reprisals if I stepped foot on it." Loki explained.

"If I may interject?" Thor interrupted, "Loki, though what father had planned for you was wrong, but do you not feel anything for the family that raised you? Not even for Mother?"

Loki pursed his lips for a moment, and both men thought he was going to answer. Instead, Loki said, "I'd like to return to the Tower, Rogers."

* * *

><p>When Loki returned, he shut himself away in the library, trying to read anything to get his mind off the conversation from earlier in the day. He was grateful for a private space. Loki tried to focus on the words, but the words floated in his brain and he found himself reading the same passages over and over again. He hated being the second son, the other prince that was ignored by the general population in favor of the crown prince, Thor. He hated being the butt of jokes, or ignored by his brother's friends growing up, or made fun of for using magic and logic rather than brute strength.<p>

What little concentration that he had was broken with a very strong knock that it would knock the door off its hinges, and he looked up from the book.

"Brother?" Thor's voice boomed from the other side of the door, "May we speak?"

Loki almost yelled for him to go away, but then sighed, and magically unlocked the door from his seat.

Thor almost seemed timid as he entered the library. It was unusual as the Thunderer always seemed confident in everything he did.

Silence prevailed between the two Asgardians, then Thor cleared his voice and began, "I was wondering if we would avoid each other when we were angry, as we have in the past."

"Ah, so you are angry with me," Loki finally said, snapping the book shut.

"Only at shutting me out, brother." Thor confessed, "I didn't understand your actions on the Rainbow Bridge, or in New York. I was more despondent of those...moments than angry. I understood your action on Asgard and you were totally correct; I was arrogant and unwise in my behavior, and believed that the crown would be given to me and not have to be earned. You Loki, deserved it more than me, and I believed that Fath-Odin would have found a good king in you had I remained on Midgard."

Loki's eyebrows rose with surprise. For Thor to admit that he was not worthy of the crown took him aback.

Again, there was another interval of silence and Thor continued, a frown over his features, "That does not mean that I trust you. But I believe-that being among the Avengers will begin to change you for the better, brother. You must see, as I did while in exile here on Midgard, that humans are the most worthy of creatures. I- I did not realize that my actions in the past would harm you so, and brother, I want us to be as close as we were before all of this happened. Please don't shut yourself away, nothing will be gained by it. If you earn their trust, my friends will see you not only as their equal, but as a friend."

Loki seemed to ponder this a moment, then looked into his brother's blue eyes and nodded. "Mother said...that he kept the truth from me so that I would not feel different. You-you do not care that I am a a Jotun? A monster?"

"You are not a monster, Loki. You are always be my brother." Beaming, Thor pulled his brother to his feet. "Come, friend Rogers has said that the Feast of Thanks is ready!"

* * *

><p>The table reminded both Loki and Thor of a feast back home. In the middle was a large cooked bird, and around it were dishes filled with foods of all sorts of colors or textures. Loki could not help but feel his appetite returning tenfold at the huge meal, as his stomach rumbled.<p>

"Come, brother." Thor remarked, pulling out a chair and sitting in the one next to him. The other Avengers had taken their seats and had begun to dish out the food when Rogers seemed to pause.

"Does something ail thee, friend Rogers?" Thor inquired, looking up at the Captain.

"I was just thinking, maybe we should say a prayer of thanks or...something before we eat?" Steve muttered and then looked at his plate embarrassed, while Tony rolled his eyes at him.

"A fine idea, Captain!" Thor boomed, "I shall go first. I am grateful for the chance to save a world that I love. I am very thankful that my brother is alive and sharing a meal again with me and my friends."

"I am thankful for friends who accept me for who I am, even with...the Other Guy, and to have a home where I am always welcome." Bruce jumped in next.

"I'm thankful for Natasha." Clint said simply, then bit into a piece of turkey.

"I'm thankful for Clint, and like Bruce said, a home where I don't have to stand on pretense, but only be myself." Natasha added.

Tony stood up, "Well, for starters, I'm thankful that I'm rich." This earned a chorus of chiding _Tony_! "And I'm grateful for a team that can get along so well and I can count on."

Steve went next, "I am thankful that I am alive in this era and to have met all of you. I am also grateful for being able to lead such a fine team of people."

"For a minute there I thought you'd say you're grateful for all the things you didn't have in the old days," Tony joked between sips of wine.

"That too," laughed Steve. "Loki, you're last."

The Trickster seemed far away, and it took a moment for him to respond. "I-I am grateful to be alive. I am thankful for Thor, who has never loosed his brotherly feelings towards me. And..." there was a stagnant moment, "I am thankful that you allow me to stay here and show me what humans are capable of doing, no matter how primitive it is."

"That's as modest as he's gonna get." Tony put in. "Okay, enough with the schmaltzy stuff, let's eat!"

In a matter of minutes, Loki's plate was filled with turkey, mashed potatoes (whatever those were), greened beans, cranberries, and biscuits, among other things. All of these were delicious; a fare competitor with a festive meal on Asgard. Later, something called apple pie was served as a dessert. He found it sweet, yet tart; a delectable ending to their Feast of Thanks.

When the dishes had been scraped clean of food, the group found themselves arguing as to who was going to help with the dishes.

"I will." Loki announced. The group fell into silence and all gaped at him with shock.

TBC...


End file.
